by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Thu September 28, 2017
A suspiciously acting man traveling through a Sri Lankan airport was stopped by security officials who discovered an estimated $30,000 worth of gold stashed in his rectum.
According to Agence France-Presse, customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport noticed a 45-year-old man from Sri Lanka walking with difficulty and appearing to be in pain.
The unnamed man was waiting for his flight to India Sunday when authorities noticed him constantly looking around, causing security officers to stop him. A more thorough search revealed the man had hidden more than two pounds of gold and jewelry in four plastic bags inside his rectum.
Security officers found "gold biscuits, three pieces of gold, six gold jewelry articles and two silver-plated yellow gold jewelry articles" all inside the man's body cavity, according to a report from BBC.com.
[READMORE]READ MORE: US Woman Attempts to Smuggle Cocaine in Her Shoes[/READMORE]
A spokesperson from Bandaranaike International Airport said the incident wasn't surprising, as many smugglers attempt to take gold into India to make a higher profit. Transporting the gold in a person's rectum is one of the most common methods of smuggling.
After being caught by police, the man said he was a courier for an organized smuggling ring. He was fined $1,500 for the incident and later released.
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